towpath

American

[toh-path, -pahth] / ˈtoʊˌpæθ, -ˌpɑθ /

noun

plural

towpaths

a path along the bank of a canal or river, for use in towing boats.

towpath British

/ ˈtəʊˌpɑːθ /

noun

Also called: towing path. a path beside a canal or river, used by people or animals towing boats

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of towpath

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; tow ¹ + path

Vocabulary lists containing towpath

"Against Nature," Vocabulary from the argument

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As well as Trevor Basin, the Unesco World Heritage Site, its visitor centre and towpath were closed to visitors.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London on 9 September 2023.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2024

Mr Khalife was arrested on a canal towpath in west London on 9 September after being pulled off a bicycle by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2023

The 21-year-old was apprehended by a plain-clothes officer who pulled him from a bicycle on a canal towpath in the Northolt area.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2023

Asta saw his dæmon—a cat—moving among the lowest branches of the oak tree while he stood below and looked up and down the towpath.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023